Thinking About Switching to Linux: What Should I Know?

I tested several Linux distros on an older laptop, and it gave it a new lease on life! It’s pretty awesome how well Linux can run on older hardware, even for some gaming using Steam. My experience has been really positive, especially with less demanding games.

Keep in mind that running Bedrock on Linux can be tricky since it needs some workarounds. If your brother can switch to Java Edition, it actually runs better on Linux. You can still do everything you need on Linux, but expect some name changes for applications. Instead of Outlook, you’d use something like Thunderbird, and for documents, LibreOffice is popular. Remember that customization is key in Linux, so don’t hesitate to explore themes to make your setup look nice.

You definitely won't brick your PC when installing Linux, so no need to stress! A good start is using Ventoy to create a bootable flash drive with the Linux Mint ISO. Just disable secure boot in your BIOS, boot from the USB, and you can test everything in a live session. If you're happy with it, proceed with a full install, and you can always reinstall if something goes awry.

You should be fine doing all the online tasks you mentioned on Linux. If you're using web apps for word docs, they’ll work smoothly since they’re browser-based. Check out ProtonDB to see if your games can run on Linux too. Don't worry about bricking your hardware; you can always boot back into Windows or reinstall the OS if you run into issues.